The present invention relates to audio signal processing apparatus for performing signal processing on audio signals based on an application program, and more particularly to a technique for controlling activation of an application program.
Heretofore, there have been known digital audio mixers of a type having an effect imparting application program prestored in an internal memory. The prestored application program has to be subjected to license management for purposes like preventing unauthorized use of the application program.
Among the conventionally-known license management techniques for an application program pre-installed in a digital audio mixer is one in accordance with which data of a license (i.e., access key) authorizing activation of the program to be license-managed is purchased via the Internet and the thus-purchased access key is recorded into an internal memory of the mixer, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-056216.
With the aforementioned conventionally-known technique, however, the application program cannot be used at all before the license (access key) is duly written into equipment that uses the application program. Among examples of the application program used in a digital mixer is a program for performing effect processing on audio signals. Activation of such an effect processing program allows a user to perform the effect processing on audio signals in the mixer and set effect processing parameters using a graphical user interface. However, with the conventionally-known technique, the user without a predetermined license cannot use either the function of performing the effect processing on audio signals or the function of setting effect processing parameters.
Namely, with the conventionally-known technique, the user cannot set parameters for the equipment employing the application program before a predetermined license is written into the equipment. Thus, at a stage prior to actual use of the application program (i.e., before audio signal processing based on the program is started), the program cannot be used, for example, to set parameters as preparatory work. As a consequence, the conventionally-known technique would provide only poor work efficiency.